The Secret Emperor and the Lowtown Girl
by Edward'sTrueAngel
Summary: The last thing Lydian expected as she unlocked her door was for a stranger to put his hand over her mouth and drag her into her own home! She also didn't expect for him to be so handsome and full of secrets. She feels that she can trust him, but he keeps so many things to himself. Just who is this mysterious Lamont fellow and what will unfold on their journey to save Archadia?
1. An Unorthodox Meeting

**Author's Note: **This is the first fanfiction that I've published in a very long time. This is also the very first Final Fantasy story I've written. I hope that you enjoy it and you're always welcome to express your thoughts and feelings about it to me as you see fit!

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I was. . .just a simple girl. A simple, average, ordinary girl. I'd spent the bulk of my life growing up in a place called Lowtown, beneath the streets of Rabanastre. Some people looked down on this place. Other people wanted to break free. To me, though, it was the place I called home. It had a mysterious quality, this dim place. This. . .town underneath a town. I knew this place inside and out. I knew every shadow, every corner. I knew the face of every person who lived there. So it surprised me one day when I encountered something. . .no, _someone_ who I'd never seen before.

It all started on a Wednesday, halfway through the week. I remember because I had just gotten off my shift at a place I worked called "Migelo's Sundries" and I wouldn't have to be back at work for a couple of days. We sold simple stuff there such as potions, phoenix downs, etc. . .The work wasn't difficult, but I worked so much that I was just happy to be able to have a breather for short time. Things had been difficult for me since my mom passed away. Now that was a day I remembered. . .

My mom had been on her way back to Rabanastre, traveling on foot. When I woke up that morning, she was gone. I was twelve at the time, certainly old enough to stay home by myself. She'd left me a note telling me she'd be back soon. I ended up venturing above ground, into the streets of Rabanastre. I just wanted some fresh air, wanted to bask in the sunlight for a while. Basking in the sunlight took a terrible turn, though.

Out of nowhere, there was all this wind. It wasn't your normal, standard wind. No, this wind was. . .unnatural. People gasped and pointed, covering their mouths with their free hands. At first glance, we all thought it was a tornado heading straight for the city. My first thought was about my mom. Where was she? How was she? Was she safe? Then I could almost hear my mother's voice in my head saying "Lydian, you get home to Lowtown _right now_!" That voice was right, wasn't it? If a tornado ripped through the city, going beneath the ground would be safer than being up here.

I almost complied with that mental command when I came to a realization. That tornado. . .it wasn't a tornado! It was. . .this huge, strange ship in the sky near the city. It was scary, like a monster up above. People were frantic as this huge thing started fighting with other airships so close by. It was like some kind of war was being waged on the outskirts of the city. I couldn't move from that spot. All I could do was watch as the events unfolded. At the end of the day, peace was established between Dalmasca and the Archadian Empire. Also, at the end of the day, my mom was found dead.

Apparently she was nearby when the fighting broke out and was crushed by the remnants of an airship that exploded up above. She was the only civilian casualty seeing as anybody else who died was actually out there fighting. After that, I was all on my own. I was alone and lost and I stayed under the ground for a whole year, blending into the shadows of Lowtown. One day, though, it hit me. My mom wouldn't want me to be this way, to simply be existing. She wouldn't want me to live half a life. So I started venturing back into Rabanastre.

Eventually, I got a job and became somewhat of a workaholic. After all, who was going to support me if I didn't? Sure, people had been kind enough to help me out after what happened to my mother. However, I didn't want to continue inconveniencing them. I wanted to find a way to stand on my own two feet. For the most part, I'd been successful. I just needed that couple of days worth of rest and I'd be right back to my resilient self.

So I left the store in what was late afternoon or early evening. The sun was growing lower in the sky like it was going to set soon. As I made my way down the streets, I observed how beautiful Rabanastre had become. The city seemed to flourish the past six years under the reign of Queen Ashelia. I admired her for her strength. We all knew the story about how she'd lost her father and her husband and somehow managed to return to the throne after peace was finally established with the Archadian Empire. Yes, the city was a sight to behold and so was she. If she could be strong, so could I.

Making my way to the door that would lead me down to Lowtown, nothing seemed different about today. I'd done the same things, seen the same people, had some of the same conversations. I didn't expect for anything to change anytime soon. I didn't think that anything groundbreaking would occur. Wow, was I wrong or what? Sometimes there is just no way to know that your life is about to change. Sometimes you just don't know until change comes knocking on your door. In my case, though, change didn't come knocking on my door. Change kind of caught me unlocking my door, put its hand over my mouth, and dragged me in!

I'll back up to explain that part, though. You see, I took the stairs down into Lowtown after work and started walking home. It wasn't the same home my mother had raised me in, no. Queen Ashelia had arranged for expansions to be made to Lowtown for the people who either wanted to continue living there or couldn't afford to live anywhere else. I moved into my own place as soon as I could after the expansions were finished. There were just too many memories in the home I had shared with my mother. . .My apartment was small and modest, but it was mine. I politely greeted people as I walked by them and continued on my way. I came upon what had to be one of the brightest areas of Lowtown, this bridge of sorts that allowed passage over this area of water that drained from up above in Rabanastre. It was a bit peaceful to me with the sound of the water and the beautiful vines that grew on the walls. I enjoyed walking through there on my way home.

When I walked through, though, I continued on my way to the darker area where my home was located. It was quiet. Most people in this area were either in their homes minding their own business or doing something elsewhere. I didn't see anybody else in sight. Pulling my keys out of my pocket, I reached down to unlock the door. My long, light brown hair started to fall over my hazel eyes and I pushed it back behind my ears. With that done, I turned the key and pulled it back out of the lock. The door was just opening when it happened. That was when a hand came out of nowhere and ended up over my mouth. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled into my apartment and the door was kicked shut behind me.

I heard footsteps fast approaching and I heard them passing by. I tried to scream for help, but it was muffled by the hand that was still firmly held against my mouth. That was when I did the only thing I could think of to do. I lifted my foot and stomped down hard on the foot of the person who was behind me. "Ow!" I heard a male's voice say. The next thing I thought of was to maim this person so I could get away. I grabbed a vase that was sitting next to the door and. . .well I sat it back down. That was my grandmother's vase and my mother would come back from the afterlife and make me sorry if I broke that.

He reached for me and I panicked. So I grabbed the next closest thing I could find, which was the coat rack. I was fully prepared to swing with all of my strength and make a run for it when I heard him talk again and say "Wait, please stop!" I don't know why, but his words stopped me mid-swing. I paused about two inches from his head even though common sense says you should swing with all your might if some stranger puts their hand over your mouth and pulls you into a secluded place. Relieved that I had stopped, he reached over and turned on the lamp. He raised his hands in front of him, palms up, to show me that he wasn't up to any funny business.

It felt like all of the air had left my lungs. Seeing the face of this stranger seemed to make all of it just whoosh right on out. He seemed to be about my age. If he was older than me then it wasn't by much. He was taller than me, but not too tall. He had long dark hair that was pulled back into a neat braid. He also had these deep eyes that were. . .they were kind. They were kind eyes that somehow told me that he wasn't going to hurt me. Overall, he was handsome. He was _very_ handsome. So why in the world was this handsome stranger with kind eyes suspiciously pulling girls into dark places?

"Who are you?" I asked, still a little wary and holding onto the coat rack.

He kept his hands extended in front of him in an attempt to assure me he was harmless. "My name is. . .Lamont. I apologize for my untoward actions, ma'am," he said as he took a step forward.

"Lamont?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Tell me, Lamont, who are you and what in the world are you doing here?"

He was dressed like a typical person you'd find walking around the streets of Rabanastre or even Lowtown. He was definitely not from Lowtown, though, since I would've seen him before now. Maybe he'd somehow wandered down here and lost his way. There was something about him, though. It was something different. He didn't seem like a typical person. The way he spoke, for example. It wasn't the accent that did it, no. I'd met my fair share of people who had an accent compared to how I talked. The way he spoke was just too _refined_ and _proper_ for an ordinary person, though. So why in the world was somebody like him in a place like this?

"I am," he began, but didn't get to finish. That was when the footsteps I'd heard move away earlier came back. With them there was a pounding on the door. Lamont made a quick move to lock it before they could try the knob, reaching past me and the coat rack I was still holding. "Does there happen to be a second way out of here?"

"Umm, there's a door in the back. W-What's going on here?" I asked as I shook my head in confusion. Before I finished the sentence he was already out of the room. I looked over my shoulder at the door and was surprised when Lamont suddenly reappeared and grabbed my hand.

"Come," he said as he looked into my eyes.

We don't always know when we make a decision so big that it will alter our lives. Take my mom, for example. She had no idea that when she left home that morning, it would be for the last time. Now picture me. There I was standing there with one hand holding a coat rack and the other being held by a handsome stranger who was obviously running from whoever these people were who were now trying to break down my door. When the word "okay" left my mouth, I didn't know that this would be the start of something so big.

As soon as I agreed, Lamont once again ran toward the back. This time, however, he was pulling me along with him. We didn't have that far to run, but we were only halfway out the room when I heard the door was kicked in. I didn't look to confirm it. However, I didn't need to since one of the guys who had done it caught onto the back of my shirt when I was on my way out the back door. Without stopping to think about it, I wiggled my hand free of Lamont's and grabbed the coat rack with both hands. I brought it up over my head and slammed it down directly behind me as hard as I could.

Hearing a groan and the sound of the perpetrator falling to the ground, I glanced over my shoulder and saw that I'd knocked him unconscious. I immediately grabbed Lamont's hand and we made a run for it. I could hear the sound of their footsteps behind us. They were fast, yes. I had one advantage over them, though. I knew Lowtown like it was the back of my hand, both the old parts and new. Running right on by people who were shocked and confused, I sprinted toward the corner up ahead and turned right. I came to the end of that alley and made a left before I blended into the shadows. As difficult as it was, we both held our breath so we wouldn't give away our location as the men ran right on by, turning left and disappearing from sight.

As soon as they were gone, we carefully and quickly made our way through Lowtown. We blended into the shadows and tried to put as much distance between us and them as we could. When we felt safe enough, we finally made our way up into Rabanastre. Night had fallen by the time we emerged just outside the South Gate. I slumped against the wall and slid to the ground, trying my best to catch my breath. Who in the world was Lamont? Who in the world were those guys chasing us? And most importantly, what had I somehow gotten myself into?

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**Disclaimer**: I do not proclaim to own Final Fantasy XII nor any of the characters or places from the game. I do take full responsibility for Lydian, though, and this story in general. Thank you.


	2. The Beginning of a Journey

**Author's Note:** Hello there! Here is chapter two. I hope you like it and thank you for reading!

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I stayed right where I was for a few minutes after I managed to catch my breath. I was just. . .beside myself. Here I'd been all geared up for a normal night with a couple of days off from work. Now I was outside of the South Gate with this Lamont fellow.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" he asked as he crouched down before me. I could see the genuine concern on his face, even in the darkness.

"What was that, Lamont? What happened back there?"

He sighed and sat down next to me, this guy that I didn't even know. This guy had dragged me into who knows what and I felt strangely comfortable, somehow at ease as we sat there together. "Forgive me," he said somewhat quietly at last. "I truly do apologize for begetting your involvement in such a dilemma. Those men were after me and I slipped into Lowtown in the hopes that I could lose them down there. Unfortunately, it was a feat I was unsuccessful at. I happened upon you as you were opening your door and took that as an opportunity to. . ."

"To scare the living daylights out of me?" I finished his sentence.

He smiled slightly at my choice of words. "Once again, you truly have my apologies."

I shook my head and shifted enough to face him. "So why were they after you in the first place? Those guys were like. . .big. And they were fast. Why would some people like them be after you?"

"Big and fast, yes," he agreed. "I must make a comment, though. The one you hit with that. . ."

"Coat rack," I supplied.

"Yes, thank you. Coat rack. The one you hit with that coat rack never stood a chance."

I didn't want to smile at that. This was a serious situation, right? So why couldn't I stop the corners of my lips from lifting up at his words? "I guess lifting heavy stuff at my job made me pretty strong, huh? I kind of hit him harder than I thought I could. . ."

Lamont let out a sigh after a while and looked at me rather seriously. "It really was not my intention to get you involved in this."

I ran my fingers through my hair as I considered his words. My fingers got snagged on a stubborn curl and I pulled them out. "You still haven't told me, Lamont, what exactly _this_ is."

"Well miss. . .miss. . .I am so sorry, but I am afraid I never asked your name in the midst of everything. Could I trouble you for a proper introduction?"

Goodness, that guy had manners, didn't he? "I'm Lydian," I told him, holding out my hand.

"As I said before, I am Lamont," he told me, taking my extended hand. Rather than shaking it as I expected him to, he raised it up to his lips and kissed it. "I apologize for neglecting to do this properly sooner."

I tried to fight the warmth in my cheeks, but I couldn't stop myself from blushing. I cleared my throat and looked away as I did my best to regain my composure. I had never been kissed on the hand before and especially not by a guy like him. "N-No more apologies, alright? Just do your best to explain what's going on and I promise I'll listen."

He nodded and took a few moments to compose his thoughts. Whatever was going on, it seemed to be weighing heavily on his mind. I knew that I was a complete stranger, but it seemed that I really was now involved in whatever this was. As such, I felt that I had a right to know even if we'd only just met.

With a sigh, he looked over at me and frowned. "I am afraid that I cannot inform you about everything," he began. "I will, however, tell you as much as I am able. If you can live with that, that is. . ."

He trailed off and waited for my decision. I thought it over in my head. He was willing to tell me something, just not everything. He was going to leave something out, something he didn't want me to know. On the one hand, this bothered me. What was it that he was holding back? On the other hand, he didn't know me well enough to trust me. Right? Also, it was probably better for me not to know all the details just in case I encounter one of those guys who chased us again.

"I. . .Yeah. I can live with that."

"Good. Then," he began before I cut him off.

"For now."

He blinked and shook his head. "For now?"

"Yes," I told him. "For now. Somewhere down the line you're going to have to tell me more. For now, though, I'll take what you're willing to give."

"I am afraid I have misunderstood the content of your words. You have made it sound as if you are," he started before I cut him off again.

"Coming along wherever it is you plan on running off to when we're done with this little chat?"

"Yes, that. You are not, by the way. Were you to maintain a low profile long enough for me to lead those men awry, you would be able to go home. If they do happen to come back, you will not know enough to be of any real interest to them."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You asked me to come before, did you not?"

"That was," he said, but I continued on.

"And I came. In addition to that, they probably would've caught you if you didn't have me to sneak you out of Lowtown. By the way, let us not forget who knocked that guy upside the head with a coat rack."

He studied me for a long minute before he had anything to say about that. "You certainly have been rather helpful, I must admit. I am afraid you would be in more danger, though, were you to involve yourself any further."

"That's my call to make, don't you think? I'm my own person and if I want to risk it then I will. Unless you just don't want me to come. . ."

He seemed surprised by that last part of my sentence. "No, I was not attempting to say anything like that."

"Then you _do_ want me to come, hmm? That settles it then. Now how about you tell me what you can about what we're up against."

Why in the world was I suddenly so gung-ho about getting all up in the middle of whatever was going on? I was already involved to an extent, yes. He was right, though. I would probably be able to return to life as I knew it before too long and he could go on his way to wherever he was going. I just had this feeling, though. I don't know how to explain it, but I had a feeling. And this feeling compelled me to convince him to take me along. I wanted to help him. I didn't know how much of a help I'd be or what I could do to help in the first place, but. . .

"Your family would surely miss your presence. They would worry about you, would they not?" he asked in one last attempt to deter me.

Shaking my head slowly, I smiled a little more brightly than I normally would have if he'd asked me any other question. It was brighter than necessary. It was brighter than I was feeling and it didn't reach my eyes. "Trust me, they. . . they won't."

He raised an eyebrow. "There is no winning against you, it seems. To have been so utterly defeated within the course of a few mere minutes. . .Alright." He glanced around to make sure we were alone. After that, he pulled something out of his pocket. It was blue and glowing a little and I wasn't sure what I was seeing.

"What is that?" I asked as he let it fall into my hand. I turned it over to get a look at it from all sides and glanced up at him to see him staring at it in a strange way

"Nethicite. Manufactured nethicite, to be more specific."

I gasped. I'd never seen any kind of nethicite before, manufactured or otherwise. But I had definitely heard about it. I knew what it was and what it could do. According to my sources, nethicite was being used the day that. . .the day my mom died. "What are you doing with something like this?!"

"Know you anything of the Emperor or Archadia?" he asked me quietly, still staring at the manufactured nethicite.

"Not much, actually," I admitted with a shake of my head. "I know that he's young and that he came into power back during the battle just outside of Rabanastre. Why?"

"There has been a bit of. . .unrest in the empire as of late. There are some people trying to usurp his authority. A plan has been hatched by these people to use manufactured nethicite to take control of Archadia by force. They even made an attempt to end his life recently."

"A-An assassination attempt, you mean? That's terrible, but. . .what does this have to do with you?"

"He was in Archades at the time of this attack and has now for his own good. It is my task to track down where this manufactured nethicite is located and put an end to it."

"Wow. . ."

"There is a bit more, I am afraid. These people who are making an effort to come into power. . .They have been trying to create doubts about the emperor, saying perhaps he is not truly qualified. If they can succeed in generating enough doubt in the hearts of the citizens, their transition into power would be much smoother."

"He's been the emperor for what? About six or seven years now, right? It seems he's been doing a good job. It shouldn't be that easy to make the citizens of Archadia doubt him now," I said as I thought about that.

"It should not be, no. Still, there needs to be absolutely no doubt about the emperor. He needs absolute proof of his qualification so that nobody can ever place doubt on him again and disrupt the peace," he said as I handed the manufactured nethicite back to him.

"I have a feeling this involves you as well?" I spoke as I watched him put it away again.

He nodded. "I am also responsible for that."

"How so?" I asked, basically on the edge of my seat now even though I didn't have an actual seat.

Lamont sighed and shook his head. "A chance exists that I have told you too much already. I really did not mean to tell you as much as I did. I have a proposition. How about we just start with what I have told you thus far and. . .perhaps I shall divulge more at a later time?"

I sighed, too. After all, I did agree to only a portion of the story. I looked over at him and gave a quick nod. "I can live with that. So. . .what now?"

He leaned back against the wall and stared up at the sky. He seemed deep in thought. He snapped out of that quickly enough, though. "Now I. . ."

"_We,_" I corrected.

"Now _we_ begin our journey toward bringing an end to that manufactured nethicite. I must warn you that such a journey poses threats of much danger," he said as he stood up, dusted himself off, and held out his hand to me. "Are you ready?"

Looking at his hand, I placed mine within it without a second thought. He smiled. There was a slight tightness around his eyes, no doubt coming from the weight of the responsibilities placed on his shoulders. His smile was genuine, though.

"Yeah, I'm ready," I said. "Wait, no. Are you sure you're ready? What I mean is how are we doing on supplies?"

"Supplies," he repeated.

"Mmm-hmm. We're going to need a few things if we're heading out on this big quest of ours, you know."

"This is not the first time I have set out on a big quest before, you know," he informed me. "I did have myself well prepared with a bag of supplies. Unfortunately, said bag was actually lost during my altercation with those men. Even so, luck is still on our side. I hid my weapons and armor. I hid a slight amount of food as well."

I didn't know the full extent of what we were facing. I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into. Why in the world was I getting ready to traipse across the world with a complete stranger? Life is funny like that sometimes. We can't always explain why we do things. At those times, could we possibly chalk it up to fate whispering in our ear? Could it be our destiny beckoning us forward?

"I guess that means I'll be a little more useful because I do believe I can help you with that little supply problem."

"How, pray-tell, do you plan on doing that?" he asked me, a bit dubious.

"It's all about connections, Lamont. Connections."


	3. Getting Out of Dodge

**Author's Note:** Hi there! If you're here right now reading this then that makes me happy! Thanks for reading this new chapter and I hope it keeps you coming back for more. And don't be afraid to let me know what you think about it. Here it is!

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Some of those men were apparently looming in the area inside the gates. This made it pretty difficult considering the quickest way to get where I wanted to go was right through that area. It was only some of them, though, so apparently they'd split up. Some of them could have still been in Lowtown. Some of them could have been elsewhere in Rabanastre, searching for us. I could navigate this mess, though. I knew I could. And navigate I did.

"Lydian," Lamont spoke as we glanced around a corner.

That was the first time he'd said my name. It sounded nice coming from him. I didn't dwell on wondering why, though. "Hmm?"

"Would you care to enlighten me as to what we are doing?"

"We're capitalizing on my connection," I told him. I didn't see anybody around so I motioned for him to follow me as I ran down the street.

I'd managed to get us right outside of Migelo's Sundries despite the odds that were against us. Granted, Lamont had pulled me back a couple of times when he spotted one of those guys and I hadn't noticed them. We seemed to be making a good team so far. Taking out my keys, I unlocked the door and poked my head inside.

The store was dark, quiet, and empty. Everybody else had gone home not long after I did. I hurried inside and Lamont followed, closing the door behind him. He locked it for good measure. "This is your connection?" he asked me.

"Mmm-hmm," I mumbled.

"Lydian." There he went saying my name again. "I wish not to presume, but that job you made mention of before. . .Would this happen to be it?" he asked, following me through the store.

"This is it," I confirmed a little absentmindedly as I walked through the dark. If I turned on all the lights, somebody could get suspicious about us being in here. I located a lamp nearby and turned it on. It emitted a soft glow that would give us just enough light.

"You're a hard worker, are you not?" From the way he said it I could tell it was more of a statement than a question, but I answered it nonetheless.

"I suppose I am," I told him as I peered over at him in the half-light. "I have to eat and pay bills, right? The work isn't all that difficult, but I still want to do the best I can. The owner of this place has been good to me. I really don't want to let him down"

He looked at me as if I'd given the right answer, like he approved of my words. He didn't say anything, but it was there in his expression. "Alright then, I do believe it is time for me to become the useful one."

We made our way through the store and Lamont picked up this and that, anything he thought we'd need from potions to phoenix downs and things in between. I didn't like the idea of needing a phoenix down. To need a phoenix down, you'd have to be really close to death. That just meant I'd have to be strong.

"A couple more of these, I suppose," Lamont said as he picked up some echo screens."

"Those are supposed to cure silence, right? Can something really take away somebody's sense of hearing like that?" I asked as I watched him put it into a bag I'd found.

He nodded. "Indeed it is something that occurs. Without the use of your ears, you would be unable to use magic."

I considered that and found myself pretty interested. "How does that work?"

"Well, the thing about magic is its components. First, there are the words that comprise the spell. Second, in addition to speaking the words, the ability to hear is crucial. You must be able to hear said words if one is to unlock that power from within," he explained to me patiently.

"I see. . ." He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Well I can't say I completely understand. I mean, I'd have to actually use magic for that to happen. I do comprehend the general idea you're talking about, though."

I watched him as he tossed one last item in and closed the bag up. "I think that should be enough," he said as I wrote that last thing down on the piece of paper I'd been carrying around the store. I added it all up and showed him the estimate.

"Hold on," I said as I saw him reach into his pocket for some money. I went into my own pocket and pulled some out. I handed him about half of what we owed. "Since we're partners now, I think we should go half on it."

He accepted the money and added his own to it. "I possess than enough money to cover this, however, what you said does sound fair."

I sat the letter I'd written Migelo down on the counter and he laid the money on top of it along with the list of items we took. The letter told him that I'd be gone for a while and not to worry. I also told him I'd had to take a few things from the store and was leaving the money there to pay for it. Lamont had mentioned it'd be a good idea to tell him he should destroy the letter just in case somebody came asking about me.

Lamont shouldered the bag and I turned off the lamp. We slipped out of the store and I locked it behind us. This was the last time I'd be leaving the store for a while. Earlier that day, I was going to be gone for only a couple of days. Now, I was leaving with the knowledge that I had absolutely no idea how long I'd be gone.

It was a little disconcerting, a little scary. And yet, I felt strangely excited.

That night we slept on the top of a building. It wasn't safe to stay anywhere in town and it definitely wasn't safe to stay in my home. It wasn't comfortable, but it could have been worse, you know? I'm not sure if Lamont even slept at all. He was still awake when I fell asleep and it was him who woke me up in the early hours of the morning.

"Wake up, Lydian," he said as he shook me gently.

I forgot where I was momentarily, sitting up straight and looking at him in confusion. I remembered quickly, though. The events of the previous day came rushing back to me and I sighed. It hadn't been twenty-four hours yet and so much had already happened.

"L-Lamont?" I said as I wiped my eyes with my knuckles and yawned slightly. "What. . .?"

"I do believe it is time for us to start out. The sun will soon arise so we must make haste. I think it would be better for us to leave under the cover of darkness so that we draw as little attention as possible."

He helped me up and we made quick work of gathering up our belongings and climbing down from the roof. We managed to make it to the East Gate, picking up the equipment he'd hidden before we met. We made it there right as they were unlocking it for the day. We hadn't encountered any of those men who were chasing us and we made it out of Rabanastre with no trouble. The Estersand, that's where we were going. Well, that's where we were traveling through.

"So tell me why is it that we aren't taking an airship or using one of those transport thingies?" I asked him as we walked across the sand.

"Teleport stones," he corrected.

"Yes, those," I amended.

"Those who are attempting to take over the empire are keeping a watchful eye. The first time I encountered those men who chased us, I had just teleported outside of the South Gate. I daresay we would garner the same result were we to attempt to travel by airship. At least for now, we must journey on foot."

"For now?" I repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like," he told me vaguely. I had a feeling he was trying to come up with some kind of plan that he wasn't finished working out yet.

"Could it be that somewhere down the line those options might be available to us?" I hedged.

He smiled. "You're a quick thinker, I see. Very astute. And. . .perhaps."

The Estersand. It started off rather cool. Deserts are always cold at night and early in the morning, right? As the morning wore on and the sun started to rise, it began to heat up. With the sun and the heat came the awakening of the various monsters that prowled the area. Oh boy.

I was hiding behind a boulder. Yep, that's right. I was hiding behind a boulder. The spear-thingy Lamont had given me earlier was laying in front of me rather uselessly. I'd seen the wolf coming at me. I'd pulled out the spear. And then I'd freaked out and hid behind the boulder.

Lamont wasn't afraid at all. He stood there rather fearlessly, unflinching, as the wolf came at him. He raised one of his swords. With one graceful movement, he brought it down and struck the wolf. It gave a sort of. . .yelp, and then it was gone. I was a little bit in awe. The way he did that was just so. . .so. . .

"That was awesome!" I couldn't stop myself from saying as I appeared from behind the boulder. "Just. . .wow!"

He turned around and shook his head, seeming a little confused. "What?"

"Yep, definitely awesome. The way you took that thing out. I mean, you weren't scared at all and you made it look so easy."

His cheeks looked a little flushed. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought he was blushing. I chalked it up to all the desert heat or something, dismissing my previous thought.

"You know, I could teach you," he said, throwing the idea out there.

"Teach me?" I asked.

He put his swords away and approached the boulder, leaning back against it. "Yes. Perchance if I show you how to wield that weapon, you will feel more prepared and will fail to freeze up upon your next meeting with any sort of monster."

"Oh, that's a good idea!" I said, rubbing my hands together in anticipation. "I don't want to be scared stupid next time. I want to learn. I don't want to let you down and I want to be able to help as much as I can. Teamwork! You know?"

He smiled and laughed lightly. It was a very pleasant sound. It was the first time I'd heard him laugh. Granted, we only just met the day before and we'd either been hiding or on the move since then so there wasn't really anything to laugh about. In fact, I was a little confused about why he was laughing now.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Nothing, nothing. You just displayed an abundance of enthusiasm, Lydian. I find it to be rather refreshing. Now, are you prepared to start the lesson?"

"Uh, yeah," I said as I watched him track down the weapon behind the boulder. It was a spear, as I mentioned before.

He returned to my side with the spear in his hand, looking at it thoughtfully before he spoke. "Do you know what the beauty of a spear is?" he asked me. When I shook my head, he continued. "A spear enables you to simply hit your opponent, albeit hard, if that is the approach you want to take in defeating them."

"Like I did with the coat rack?" I reminded him.

His lips quirked with amusement. "Yes, just like with the coat rack. A spear, though, is a much more conventional weapon. And in addition to hitting, you are endowed with the ability to pierce your opponent as well when you have use of a spear."

So you're telling me it's versatile, right? Like. . .I have options when I'm using it?" I tried to clarify.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Exactly that. Now that have been made aware of your options, it is time for me to show you how to take advantage of those options."

He held the spear out to me and I took it, holding it gingerly in my hand. He moved directly behind me and reached around, closing his hand over mine. "You must tighten your grip, Lydian. Otherwise, your weapon might get dislodged and out of your reach when you are in the midst of danger."

I squeezed my fingers more firmly around the spear and took a deep breath. "I-Is that good?" I asked, unsure why exactly I was so unnerved.

"Good," he confirmed, though he didn't move his hand. He pushed forward, making me extend my arm and guided me in doing a few swift and small movements. From there, he helped me with wider and broader swings. We also did swings from both sides and well as up and down motions. I did my best to concentrate during all of this, but I was strangely aware of him being so close behind me. I was aware of his hand still on mine. I really was paying attention to what he was showing me, though!

He spent the next couple of minutes directing me on attacking with the sharp end of the spear so I could puncture my enemies. "Jab," he told me.

"Jab," I repeated, thrusting the spear forward quickly. I felt strangely confident. I was still new to this, sure, but I felt as if I had this down.

Lamont took a few steps back. "Alright now, Lydian. Would you care to demonstrate what you have learned?"

I nodded and went through the motions that he'd taught me, pretty sure I'd nailed each one of them. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before nodding his head in approval. "Very good."

I smiled brightly, gazing at the spear before looking up at him. "Well what did you expect? I had a good teacher."


	4. Fortress Festivities

**Author's Note**: Hello everybody! I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I haven't forgotten you! I've just been very busy. That being said, here is the latest chapter. I hope you like it.

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"So Lamont," I said as we walked along in the desert heat. It was. . .sweltering. I didn't want to complain, I really didn't. I did my best not to let it get to me or to tip him off to how bothered I was. I could handle this. It was day five of our trek through the desert. Or was it six? I had lost track of the days and it felt as if there was no end in sight. "How did you learn how to fight?"

He kept up his steady pace and I matched it so that we could walk side by side. "I had formal instruction," he said simply.

"You mean like. . .somebody taught you?" I asked.

"That is correct," he said. "I was instructed on merely the basics, though. The rest is knowledge I gained out of necessity, in the heat of battle."

I sped up to walk a little ahead of him and then walked backwards where I could face him, my hands behind my back. "Oh? Please, do tell." I was truly interested. What battles had he been in before? He was so. . .refined. It was hard for me to imagine somebody like him having to go into a battle. With the way he cut down that wolf before, though, perhaps I was wrong. . .

"I. . .became ensconced in somewhat of a situation. It was a long time ago, a different journey. I traveled with people who I would be lucky enough to call my friends. It was during this time that I truly learned," he said, looking at me directly. "We do what we must when the situation calls for it. You see, that is why I have the utmost confidence that you will do just fine."

"_Just_ fine?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fantastic?" he tried again.

I smiled happily. "I'll do my best not to let you down!"

The next thing I knew, he was grabbing my arm. "Lydian, look out!" he yelled as he yanked me back in the right direction and pushed me behind his back.

I peeked around him just in time to see a wolf running straight toward us. _One_ wolf. I could handle that! I couldn't handle it before, but I knew I could now. It was awesome of him to try and protect me like that, but how would I learn and grow if I let him take care of every situation? At least it wasn't a cactoid again. Those things were prickly, yet deceivingly cute. That was a combination that just didn't bode well, you know?

"Let me do it," I said, tugging on his sleeve before I appeared from behind him.

With a quick movement, I pulled the spear from where it was attached to my back and held it before me, ready. When the wolf wasn't too far off, I used the length of the weapon to hit it without letting it get too close to me. It yelped and then altered its strategy. It tried to circle around me. Instead of letting it do that, though, I started mirroring its movements. Together we were moving in a counter-clockwise circle, the same distance apart from one another.

The wolf finally got tired of this and tried to run at me. I whacked it again with a side swipe. And then. . .I tripped, falling back onto the sand. It all happened rather quickly. The wolf saw that as his opportunity and dashed toward me. Lamont rushed forward, his swords ready. And me? I reacted immediately, not wanting to give an inch even though I'd lost my footing. I strengthened my hold on the spear and thrust it forward, piercing the wolf and watching as it disappeared.

Lamont stopped in his tracks, a little befuddled. A second later, though, he smiled and came forward. He knelt down to pick up the loot left behind by the wolf before he extended his hand to me. I let him help me up yet again before I dusted myself off, the sand falling back to the ground.

"Fantastic," he said once more.

"Thanks," I said, accepting his praise. I knew I wasn't truly fantastic yet. Perhaps I never would really be. I'd do my absolute best, though, not to let him down.

By nightfall, we'd reached Nalbina Fortress. Little did I know, we'd be staying there for a while. Lamont had explained that he couldn't be absolutely sure that we hadn't been followed. And even if they hadn't figured out where we were heading yet, perhaps they would come this way soon enough. Lamont figured it'd be sooner rather than later considering how close this place was to Rabanastre.

He wanted to hide within the confines of this city to throw them off our trail. It was just our luck that the town was right at the beginning of a week long celebration. It was an annual celebration to commemorate the completion of the rebuilding of the fortress as well as the expansion of the town. As a result, they celebrated this achievement every year. This is what would give us our advantage. With so much celebration going on and even more people than normal visiting, we would blend right in. We'd be a faceless blur in the minds of those we crossed.

It was an interesting week. When the sun rose over the desert sands, Lamont would take me back into the Estersand. He would watch as I fought the various monsters in the area, letting me get in precious time to train. He always stepped in if one of them managed to overwhelm me. It was getting easier and easier for me to strike them down, though. I felt stronger somehow. It's not that I had developed muscles or anything. I felt a curious inner strength that was growing slowly, but steadily.

When training was over for the day, we'd return to the town and blend into the festivities. It was _so_ enjoyable! People were everywhere. There was so much to see. There was dancing in the streets and vendors with different products for sale aside from your standard potions, techniks, weapons, etc. . . In the newly constructed town square, there was a statue. It was a really tall, golden statue that shone bright whenever the sunlight hit it.

It was a little awe-inspiring, really. It was also rather sad. You see, it was a statue constructed in remembrance of Prince Rasler. I'd heard about it, but now I was finally getting to see it. News through the grapevine said that Queen Ashelia had funded the construction of the statue and it had been finished just in time for the very first celebration of the completed town.

I could imagine how she must have felt, to always have that loss in the back of her mind. I mean, I'd lost my mom and I lived with that every day. This was different, though, her situation. Hers was different from mine and I realized that. What she had dealt with. . .Not only had she lost her father, but she'd lost her prince as well.

I took a step back from the statue and glanced around, trying to locate Lamont. He was standing against a nearby building, watching people dance with a worried look on his face. With a sigh, I made my way over and decided there must have been something I could do.

"Hey," I said as I came to a stop before him. "It'd be a shame to miss out on this fun." I pointed my thumb behind me toward the people dancing.

"Be that your tactful way of requesting me to dance?" he asked me with a somewhat amused expression.

I laughed and shook my head. "Uh, no. I mean, I can't dance. It's not that I have two left feet or anything, I've just never learned. I was just suggesting that we take a walk around or something if you'd like."

He didn't answer me with words. He used his hands to push against the wall and propel himself away from his spot against the building before walking in a random direction. I joined him and we decided to veer off toward one of the side streets that included the homes of the town's residents. The sun was starting to set so one by one, people who were home were starting to light a candle and sit it in front of a window in their home. I wasn't sure what the meaning of the candles was, though I suppose it must have had something to do with the celebration. The effect of so many candles lending their soft light to the street as the sun was setting, though, was beautiful.

I let out a wistful sigh. With so many beautiful sights, it was easy to almost forget just what Lamont and I were tangled up in. It was easy to lose a little focus on the journey we'd just barely started.

"Hey Lamont," I said quietly, almost afraid to break the companionable silence that had fallen between us. "What's up with those candles. They're beautiful, but do they have some kind of significance you know about?"

He looked a little sad as he considered my question. "From what I have come to understand, the citizens light candles during this week of celebration in remembrance of all the people who lost their lives during the battle all those years ago. It is not a requirement of any sort. Rather, it is a choice that each person makes if they feel it in their heart."

The candles just got a little less beautiful or a little more beautiful depending on how I thought about it. In the end, I decided that it really was a beautiful notion. People had died, but they hadn't been forgotten. Even if the people lighting the candles didn't know any of those who died, at least they were still being thought about.

"I like it," I said to him finally, softly. "If something were to ever happen to me, I think I'd be comforted by knowing that there was somebody out there who cared enough to light a candle for me."

I knew that something like that wasn't about to become a tradition in Rabanastre, but maybe it could be my own little tradition. Every year, maybe I'd light a candle and sit it in front of the window. And just maybe, wherever my mother was, she'd know that I was thinking about her.

"Were something ever to happen to you, I daresay I would light one," he said as I looked up at him. "A candle, I mean," he added as if he needed to clarify.

I was smiling before I knew it. Here was this guy who barely knew me or anything about me. And yet I felt as if we were already friends. So what I said next were true words from the heart. "Yeah, I feel the same way. I'd light one for you, too. That being said, don't you dare go out and give me a reason to light one in the first place. Alright?"

"Most unfortunately, I imagine that would be easier said than done," he said as he pulled me back into the shadows and pointed. Some of the men who had been following us were walking down the main street. They couldn't see us where we were. Even with the candles, it was still dark enough to conceal us.

Lamont and I backed up slowly until they were out of sight. Then we turned and hurried back down the street we'd come up. I looked down an alley as we passed it and got an idea.

"Hey," I whispered to Lamont, who had passed me when I stopped. "This way."

He spared a moment to look around and make sure we weren't being followed before hurrying over to the alley where I was. Somebody had left a ladder propped against the side of the building and while it had already been established that we were pretty good at climbing buildings without one, this certainly made it an easier task given the circumstances.

We hopped from building to building, keeping our footsteps light so that nobody below would hear us. From there, we made our way to building we'd been sleeping on so far. We laid on our stomachs and peered over the side of the building. Now that those guys had caught up to us, we'd probably have to stay on top of that building for the rest of the night. I could certainly have worse company, though, all things considered.


	5. A Lucky Save

**Author's Note: **Hi there everybody! I've come to you with a new chapter! I'm sorry it's taken me so long, I've been really busy. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm hoping I'll have time to post another chapter soon so you can meet the new character I'll be bringing in. Until then, here's chapter five.

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They weren't leaving. Two days after the celebration ended and those guys weren't leaving! We'd thought that they'd just move on when they couldn't find us anywhere in the town, but no. Apparently they must have figured that if we hadn't been there already then we'd come through sooner or later. Hence their staking out of the place.

We'd hoped to sneak out of town without any kind of an altercation. Really, we did. It just so happens that circumstances prevented that from actually happening. The whole time, it wasn't that we, or should I say Lamont, was incapable of beating the tar out of those guys. No. It's just that he didn't want it to have to come to that. Whoever it was that these guys reported back to, they'd go back armed with information about us, our capabilities, and our general direction. That information was something he didn't want them to have.

It's too bad that we couldn't stop it from coming to that point. We'd mainly stayed on top of the buildings. If we had to come down, we'd pay attention to their locations up above to make sure that we didn't run into them coming down. Now that the celebration was over, though, there weren't near as many crowds to blend into so that was rather tricky. Furthermore, Lamont hadn't liked my idea that we split up.

I'd thought it was a good idea, though. The two of us together would be a larger target, right? And it would make blending into crowds or shadows more difficult. Besides, if one of us were to be spotted, it would draw the attention of however many of those guys were in that immediate area. Lamont had said something along the lines of me not being ready to take them on by myself if it were to come to a fight. That was when I reminded him that I took care of myself just fine when I whacked that guy over the head with my coat rack before.

In fact, that very same guy was one of the ones who were chasing after us. I was sure he was just itching to get his hands on me. I wasn't about to point that out to Lamont, though. Otherwise, he probably would've insisted that I outright stay up there on the roofs.

"Avoid any altercations if at all possible," he told me as he made sure my spear was secure in its place on my back, right behind the bag I had with me.

"Mmm-hmm," I replied.

"Also, do not forget your main objective for the duration of this foray. We have great need of supplies as well as a way out," he reminded me.

"Got it," I told him. "Now go. Don't worry about me, okay? Even if something did happen to me, it's way more important that you get away."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he seemed to think better of it because he turned away and carefully sneaked out of the alley we were in. Approximately 103 seconds later I left as well, doing exactly as he said I should. I went in the opposite direction.

Lamont's task was to figure out a way for us to get out of town. My task was to replenish our supplies. We planned on getting out of dodge as soon as possible, hopefully today. It was important that we were prepared when the time came. I picked up some magicks. I remembered what Lamont had told me before about the way that magic worked. I could learn it, right? All I had to do was practice and practice makes perfect.

It was time for me to stock up on general supplies. Simple items such as potions had to be used on me when I was getting some training done in the general area around town before. I felt a little guilty. Anything that had been used since our arrival in town had been used on me so I was the reason they needed to be replaced. Lamont had told me not to worry about it, that he had used a lot of potions and such in his day. Well, those weren't his exact words. He'd said it much more eloquently, of course.

He'd asked me to make my trip quick. Even if he wasn't back in the alley yet when I arrived, I was supposed to head directly up to the roofs and wait for him to come back. Little did I know, I had been spotted. Maybe if it were one of the other guys, they wouldn't have realized it was me. I mean, the others hadn't really gotten a good look at me. That guy who I'd clonked over the head, though. . .Even if he hadn't rightfully seen my face, I suppose he knew me well enough from behind because he was following me.

I didn't see him at first. In fact, I didn't see him the whole time I was making my journey back to the alley. You'd think that I would've noticed him sooner. I mean, I'd been living by myself for a long time. Lowtown and Rabanastre were generally safe places, but there was the occasional random creeper and that kind of situation called for awareness. By the time I did notice him, I had already stepped into the darkness of the alley. He stepped in after me.

I immediately assessed my options. I could grab my spear and try fighting him, but he had me backed into an alley. He was bigger than me and chances were that he could overpower me. I could call for help, but this was a relatively uneventful part of town so there wasn't a lot of people around to hear me. And then. . .there was always the ladder. If I could get up it fast enough. . .

I walked forward like I hadn't noticed him. He slowly came after me. When I was near enough to the ladder and still a certain distance from him, I made a run for it. Luckily for me, being smaller than him also made me quicker than him. I was halfway up the ladder when he reached it. Unfortunately for me, though, he was taller and longer than me. When he got on the ladder he reached up and grabbed onto my leg. He was trying to pull me back down. And he was strong, darn it. My fingers slipped from one rung to another.

At that moment, I remembered what Lamont had told me when he first showed me how to use the spear. What was it? Ah, yes. Lamont had told me to tighten my grip. This wasn't a spear, but I certainly tightened my grip. The man pulled harder. If he pulled hard enough, I knew he would be able to drag me down. Either that, or he'd climb up more and get a better hold on me. At the moment, his hand was around my left ankle.

Do you know what that means? That means my right leg was free. I tightened my grip even more so I wouldn't fall. At the same time, I brought my foot down, making contact with what I could only assume to be his head. One dire invective and a second kick later and before I knew it, he let go of my ankle. I took that as my opportunity to finish climbing up the ladder.

For the first time in my life, I wished I'd been wearing heels because my kicks didn't keep him down nearly long enough. I knew that I was quicker than him, yes, so I started running as fast as I could. Even if he were to somehow gain on me, I wasn't just going to up and let him do it. Unlike the other times Lamont and I had been up on the roofs, I couldn't afford to tread lightly. I couldn't focus on being careful enough to make sure my footsteps wouldn't be heard, no. I just had to run all out and not focus on who may or may not be on the top floor of the building below.

'_Lamont. . .where are you?_' I wondered as I ran by the spot where we'd been sleeping. We didn't leave anything behind when we left for the day so there was nothing there for anybody to get their hands on. We always took everything with us just in case somebody from town came onto the roof and discovered our little camp.

Veering off to the left, I hopped onto the next building and kept running. I could hear him behind me, but he wasn't close enough to catch me. Still, though, I couldn't stop until I'd lost him altogether. I suddenly found myself face-to-face with the wall of an even taller building. Unfortunately, it was too tall for me to pull myself up.

The building to the right of me was definitely not close enough for me to just hop on over. I would have to jump and even then, there was no guarantee I w

ould make it. It really was quite a distance. Still, though, I didn't really have any other options. I backed up and took a look over my shoulder. All of my hesitation was enough to help the man gain on me.

Before he could grab onto me, I made my move. I ran toward the edge of the building and jumped as hard as I could, trying to propel myself to the other side. That. . .didn't work. I mean, I made it to the other building, but I was hanging onto the side of it with my legs dangling in the air. I tried to pull myself up. I did possess some upper body strength, as I'd told Lamont before. I was almost all the way up when my fingers slipped and I started falling to the street below.

In that moment, things started to go in slow motion. I saw the wall of the building above me getting further and further away. I could see the man looking at me from the edge of the building I'd just jumped from. I wondered what would happen to Lamont. Surely he'd continue on his journey. Would he be okay, though? I wasn't arrogant enough to think that my absence would stop him from helping the emperor altogether. What about those moments when he looked upset or sad, though? Who would be there to put a smile on his face and cheer him up? I could picture hitting the ground and wondered how badly I'd be hurt. Would I break my leg? Arm? Would my back be injured? Would the fall kill me? I mean, it was a great distance down.

So of course it was definitely unexpected when I didn't hit the ground. Instead, I landed in what felt like. . .like. . .arms? Yes, there was a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. Had some guy standing on the street caught me? Had one of coat rack guy's associates managed to catch me? I realized that I'd squeezed my eyes closed at some point during my fall. I peeked one open cautiously and saw Lamont looking down at me. His expression was a mix of surprise, concern, and fear. I don't think I'd ever felt as relieved before as I did in that moment.

I threw my arms around his neck before I realized what I was doing. "Oh my gosh, you saved me! L-Lamont, you. . ." At this point, I was squeezing so hard that surely he was having a difficult time breathing. Still, though, he did not complain.

He looked up at where the guy who was chasing me was. I followed his gaze and saw the man turn around and run. Doubtlessly he must have been getting ready to find a way down and come after us. Lamont took off down the street before veering off onto a side-street. He bobbed and weaved through a few more, trying to throw the man and the others off our trail if they were following. I didn't remind him that I was still in his arms, spear, bag, and all. He was so focused on the task at hand and he didn't seem to mind. . .

When he finally did stop, he looked down at me seriously. "Lydian you. . .I. . ." he paused and took a deep breath to calm himself. "It is imperative that you inform me as to what happened."

I tugged on his arm and pointed at the ground. He suddenly seemed to remember that he was still holding me. This time I think his cheeks really did turn a little pink as he sat me back on my feet.

I slid the bag off my shoulders and sat it down on the ground. Unhooking my spear, I held it in my hands as I leaned back against the wall and let myself slide down to the ground. Lamont sat down next to me, reminding me of how we'd sat like this on that night not long ago when we first met.

"He was following me," I started with a frown. "I'm not sure how long. I mean, I'd been distracted because I was focused on buying more supplies. I didn't even notice him until I'd made it all the way back to the alley and by that time. . ."

"You were cornered," he finished for me.

"Mmm-hmm. I knew there would be no getting around him, but there was still the ladder. He caught me when I was about halfway up, but I kicked him a couple of times."

Lamont winced and then smiled a little. "Would it be safe for me to assume that he now harbors an even more sizable grudge against you?"

I smiled at him, now able to see the humor in the situation. First I'd whacked that guy in the head and then I kicked him twice. Good things just didn't happen to him when he was chasing after me. . . "Yeah, I suppose so." I then continued explaining to him. "Anyway, I was running across the roofs of buildings and tried to jump to that building you saw me hanging from and. . .well you know what happened from there."

Lamont shook his head in disbelief. "In all honesty, I was not attempting to catch you. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even aware that it was you."

"Wait, what?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw somebody falling directly above me. I opened up my arms. . .reflexively, I suppose you could say. That is when you fell right in."

I started laughing then. I just threw my head back and started laughing. That's when I hit my head against the wall behind me. "Ow," I said as I rubbed my head. I did laugh a little more, though. "It really was a lucky save, then."

He laughed a little, too, reaching over to make sure I hadn't hurt myself too badly. "Truly."


	6. A Mysterious New Ally

Hi everybody! Sorry it took me so long to upload this. It's time for you to meet Esabel so here we go!

To my Guest reviewer, thanks! I can't catch every mistake, try as I may. I'll be sure to go back and fix that when I have time.

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Esabel. That was her name. This tall, lithe lady who stood before us. She seemed to be about the same age as Lamont and I. For some reason, though, I felt as if she were about ten times the woman I was. Maybe it was her impossibly long black hair or her tan skin. Perhaps it was the curious accent she spoke with. It could possibly have been her sparkling blue eyes. Most of all, though, I think it was her elegance. She was so graceful, the way she carried herself. There was something about her that reminded me of Lamont and it immediately made me feel out of place. After all, I wasn't articulate and graceful like they were. Granted, she didn't speak in the almost archaic way Lamont spoke. She did, however, pronounce every word very carefully and. . .crisply.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself again, though. You're probably wondering who the heck Esabel is and why I'm talking about her. Alright, so Lamont and I were trying hard to get away from Nalbina Fortress. There we were, sitting against a building resting when her voice came out of nowhere.

"I don't want to be presumptuous, but do you two have anything to do with all of the commotion in town?" a voice called out.

Lamont and I looked at each other and jumped to our feet, immediately on our guard. That was when laughter echoed around us. It was soft and chiming, reminding me of the gentle ring of a bell.

"Come now, there's no need to be suspicious."

That was when somebody, Esabel, jumped down from a nearby building. It wasn't as high as the building I fell from, that's for sure, but it was still high enough. She landed rather gracefully in front of us. I'm pretty sure that my mouth as well as Lamont's kind of fell open.

I was the one who recovered first. For some reason, I felt just the tiniest bit irritated that Lamont was taking longer than me. "W-Who are you?" I managed to ask as I took a critical look at her. She didn't seem threatening, despite the impressive skills she just displayed. She didn't even look threatening despite the bow and quiver of arrows she had with her. On the contrary, she seemed rather friendly. I relaxed a little.

"Please excuse me for interrupting you two so suddenly," she said with a kind smile, looking from one of us to the other. "My name is Esabel."

I took the hand she extended toward me and I shook it. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Lydian. And this is. . ."

I punched Lamont's arm. It was just to get his attention, though I admit I probably hit it a little harder than I had intended. I didn't understand why I did, either. . .Anyway, that was enough to snap him out of whatever was going on in his head.

Lamont looked from me to her and shook his head, giving an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, please," he said as he took her extended hand. Instead of shaking it, however, he kissed it. "My name is Lamont. Would you perhaps enlighten me as to the reason why you jumped down from a roof to make our acquaintance?"

Esabel's eyes lit with a mysterious light as she leveled us with a look. "I came to offer my assistance," she started as I stepped a little closer to Lamont's side.

Meanwhile, he frowned at me as he rubbed his arm. I gave him an apologetic look before the corners of his lips curled up in amusement. I could tell that I had already been forgiven. Then again, why should I be worrying about being forgiven considering all I did was snap him out of that. . .that stupor he seemed to be in? Nevertheless, I was glad to have it.

We turned to give Esabel our full attention. She had been watching our silent exchange patiently and wore an amused look of her own. Now, though, it was time to get more serious. "Esabel, in what way is it that you intend to assist us?" Lamont asked, not missing a single beat. Apparently he had been paying perfect attention to me and Esabel at the same time.

"You see," she began as she started walking down the street, looking back as if she expected us to follow. "I think I possess knowledge you two are in need of. I know a way out of this town."

I was sure we were going to be caught. Firstly, there were even more of those guys around now than before. Apparently they had called for reinforcements. Secondly, how could you not expect to get caught when getting out of town meant you had to sneak into the actual fortress?! And yet we did. I had no idea how Esabel knew what she was doing, but she did. More than once, I saw Lamont give her a perplexed look. . .Wait, perplexed? Geez, you know I must have picked that word up from him. He gave her a perplexed look on more than one occasion.

It wasn't the fortress that was our ticket out of here. No. Our ticket out of here meant going to the dungeon and through the dungeon, we could find our way into a place called the Barheim Passage. The dungeon was bad enough, you know? It was a dungeon, after all, a place where prisoners were contained. How would I feel if I were locked behind bars? What could I possibly do to get myself locked somewhere like that in the first place?

More unsettling than the dungeon, though, was the Barheim Passage. It was strangely dark. Lowtown was a rather dark place, sure, but this was different. This was somehow. . .menacing. We exchanged the threat of those men for a new threat: the threat of monsters. I chose to look at the situation positively. Here I had a great chance to train, to strengthen myself up. I didn't want to drag Lamont down, right? I felt a little discouraged, though, when I watched Esabel.

She didn't need to train. She would definitely _not_ be dragging Lamont down. Why? Because she was, apparently, an expert when it came to that bow of hers. Her aim was perfect, flawless. She hit her mark with ease as she unleashed an arrow at a. . .a. . .Oh my gosh, was that a zombie?! A zombie. Like. . .an undead, still moving. . .

Esabel looked back at me as she picked up some kind of loot from the creature she just finished off. "Are you feeling unwell?" she asked with concern.

"That was. . .a zombie," I informed her, even though I was certain she knew exactly what in the world it was she'd just taken down.

"Yes, it was," she confirmed as she calmly readied another arrow, looking around with a careful eye. "Take comfort, though, Lydian." When I raised an eyebrow, she took that as her cue to continue. "I happen to know that at one time, there was another kind of monster down here."

Lamont chose to interrupt then, coming back up the stairs he had descended ahead of us. I could tell he'd just taken down some zombies of his own. "Would you be referring to mimics?" he asked her as he came to a stop in front of us.

She gave him a curious look then. "What do you know of them?" she asked as we all started to make our way down the stairs.

Lamont kind of drifted to my left side, which left Esabel to the right of me. And when I say "drifted" I actually mean that he gracefully made his way over in that direction. "Never before have I encountered them, yet I have heard tales of the threat they pose. The danger lies in their ability to disguise themselves and strike when you are not on your guard. Also. . .

"Also?" I hedged when he trailed off.

"Also, they have a particular fondness for energy," he finished.

I wasn't sure what he was getting at for a moment. Then, it dawned on me. The darkness. . . "Wait, is that why it's so dark down here?" I asked, unconsciously gripping Lamont's sleeve and glancing around warily.

"Yes and no," Esabel chimed in. "Ordinarily, the energy should properly return once mimics have been destroyed. In the case of this passage, this place is old to begin with. The mimics only did more damage when they continuously drained it of energy. Even though they're gone, the energy won't be able to circulate the way it should anymore."

"Hence, the marked lack of adequate lighting," Lamont spoke. "You said that they are gone, though, correct?" Esabel didn't let her guard down, kept sweeping her eyes over the area as we walked. She did nod, though, to indicate that she had heard him. "You appear to be confident in accordance to that statement. What is it that makes you so sure?"

Esabel smiled at us. It wasn't cocky, though some people would have come off that way right before saying what she was about to say. Rather, she seemed reassuring. "I'm sure because I saw them die firsthand. I killed them all myself."

After that was all said and done with, Esabel took us through the passage that she seemed to know pretty well. The darkness beckoned the zombies. I can't say that I got over my initial fear, but I did pull myself together enough to whack and jab them back to death. Then again, you couldn't truly kill something that was already dead, right?

Wrong. Lamont finally had enough of them sprouting all over the place and started whispering some kind of incantation. I realized then that it was magic, which we had discussed before. Suddenly, a bright light came down upon the zombie in front of us. When the light vanished, the zombie did as well. Holy. I made a mental note to ask him to teach me that one later.

He sure did know a lot. I wondered, though, how it was he knew about the mimics if he'd never actually seen them before. Lamont's friends came to my mind, the ones he had mentioned before. Had they been down here? And if so, then for what reason? As if he could read my mind, Lamont looked at me and nodded in confirmation. The action was lost on Esabel who had absolutely no way of knowing what our silent exchange was about. She didn't mind, though, as she forged ahead and shot some bat-like creature down.

I wondered where the passage was leading us to. It looked like a large place and I imagined it having more than one exit. What exit was Esabel leading us to? Was she even leading us to an exit at all? Esabel was still a stranger, right? She seemed friendly and all, but she was so good with that bow. She had single-handedly gotten rid of all of those mimics. She had real skills. If she wanted to, she could shoot each of us with an arrow before the other had a chance to react. Could we really trust her?

She looked back at me and smiled. I could have sighed out of frustration. Just as quickly as those doubts showed up, she was able to dispel them with a single smile. Was this because she really was trustworthy or was it because she was good at fooling people? I looked over at Lamont, who blasted yet another zombie with Holy. He didn't seem concerned. Wait, no. That's not it. I wasn't about to fool myself into thinking that he wasn't wary of this skillful person we'd just met. There probably was concern there. It seemed, though, that he was confident enough in his own abilities that he could do something if his concerns were proven true.

I rethought my earlier idea that she could shoot us down before either of us had a chance to react. Lamont. . .he would be able to react, right? Yes, he would. I felt like smacking myself upside my own head for being so silly. Of course he would! I hadn't doubted him from the very beginning, so why should I doubt him now? Lamont would be able to handle Esabel if he had to. I trusted him with my life and I trusted his abilities. And I didn't trust Esabel yet, but I could be so confident in Lamont's ability to handle things that I could give her a chance to prove herself.

In the meantime, I wasn't about to trust these monsters to just leave me alone. There was one of those bat-like creatures heading straight for me. Esabel readied an arrow and was prepared to shoot. Lamont interrupted her with a shake of his head. She lowered her bow and they both gave me their full attention. I felt a bit of pressure with them both looking at me so expectantly. I pushed the pressure away and focused on the oncoming attack.

I raised my spear and tried to jab it. The bat dodged easily, though, and managed to hit me. That. . .didn't feel too good. At all. My shoulder was throbbing. I saw Lamont wince, as if he could feel the pain himself. He didn't make a move forward to intervene, though. He looked sure that I could do this. I probably looked like I was in pain so I straightened out my face. I tried again, this time making contact. I whacked the bat with all of my strength and it let out this high pitched screech.

Good. Now I wasn't the only one feeling pain. It got angry and flew at me again. I whacked its left side and sent it flying into a wall toward my right. The bat fell to the floor and started flapping its wings weakly. Instead of giving it a chance to make it back in the air, I took the sharp end of my spear and ended this little fight.

Before I knew it, Esabel was giving me an approving nod and Lamont was opening up his bag. The next thing I knew, I was feeling much better. I felt completely normal, as a matter of fact. My shoulder stopped throbbing immediately. Potion. Lamont had used a potion on me.

"Thanks," I said with a grateful smile as he closed his bag back up.

"You're welcome," he told me as we all started walking again, Esabel in the lead. "I trust that you are feeling better?"

"Mmm-hmm," I said with a nod. "Good as new."

We all continued on like that for quite a while. Esabel was in the lead, shooting down whatever came at her. Lamont gracefully blasted any zombies that came our way. And I, much more clumsily than them, managed to hold my own. Occasionally, when the area was safe, we'd take a break to rest. Earlier I had wondered if this place had more than one exit. Now I was beginning to wonder if it even had an ending at all. Walk. Fight. Walk. Fight. Rest. Walk. Fight. This was the pattern we had fallen into in this dark place.

It all paid off, though, because there was an end to this place. Before we knew it, we came upon an exit. It didn't bring us out into blindingly bright light. It brought us out into more darkness. This time, though, it was the normal darkness of night. It also brought us out into a chilly landscape that I recognized easily and welcomed. We were back out in the Estersand.


End file.
